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CC BY 4.0 · Vet Comp Orthop Traumatol
DOI: 10.1055/a-2648-6856
Original Research

Extravasation of Intraarticular Fluid Injection Following Canine Elbow Arthroscopy: A Cadaveric Study

Linus Rustemeyer 
1   Small Animal Clinic Posthausen, Posthausen, Germany
,
Matthias Galipaud
2   Swiss Data Science Center, Zürich, Switzerland
,
Peter Böttcher
3   Central German Competence Center for Small Animals, Leipzig, Germany
,
Philipp A. Schmierer
1   Small Animal Clinic Posthausen, Posthausen, Germany
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Abstract

Objective

To investigate extravasation of contrast media injected intraarticularly, either immediately following elbow arthroscopy or after arthrocentesis using computed tomographic (CT) imaging at different time points.

Study Design

Cadaveric dog model.

Methods

A total of 16 elbows of eight canine cadavers (median age 10.2 years, 5.6 to 16.8 years; median weight 35.0 kg, 26.0 to 42.0 kg) were randomly assigned to the arthroscopy group with the contralateral elbow as control. Right after elbow arthroscopy, both elbows were injected with 2.5 mL contrast fluid. Elbow CT scans were obtained at seven time points. To detect a possible loss of contrast medium from the joint, both the total volume and intensity of the contrast fluid were measured intra- and extraarticularly using rendering software. To compare volume and intensity of contrast fluid, a simple linear model and a linear mixed effect model were used.

Results

The total volume of contrast-enhanced fluid was increased (avg. difference: 5115 mm3; linear model std. estimate: 1.69, std. error 0.10) and the total intensity decreased (avg. difference: 1330 Hounsfield Units; linear model std. estimate: −1.66, std. error 0.11) in the arthroscopy group compared with the control. Neither total volume nor total intensity of contrast-enhanced fluid changed significantly within 15 minutes.

Conclusion

Extravasation of intraarticular injected contrast fluid after elbow arthroscopy without a significant effect of time could be shown. Injection of liquid therapeutics, e.g., orthobiologics, at a later point after arthroscopy should be considered.

Keywords

elbow - arthroscopy - extravasation - dog - orthobiologics

Notes

The abstract was presented at the annual ECVS meeting 2023 in Cracow, 01.07.2023 ( https://doi.org/10.1111/vsu.13989 ).


Authors' Contribution

L.R. contributed to compilation of all data, interpretation and processing of the data, drafting and revision of the manuscript; participation in the conception and design of the study. M.G. contributed in performing statistical analyses and produced illustrations. P.B. contributed to the design of the study, provided scientific, in-line editing of the manuscript. P.A.S. contributed to study idea, design of the study, was responsible for the arthroscopic procedures, oversaw data collection, interpreted data, and provided scientific, in-line editing of the manuscript.


Supplementary Material



Publication History

Received: 17 October 2024

Accepted: 18 June 2025

Article published online:
16 July 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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